Halloween is soon upon us so why don’t you sink your teeth into a new series? Below is our list of the top 20 horror series currently streaming on Netflix.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry in fear and your head will be chopp-… getting ahead of myself there *A-hem*. Anyways if you’re looking for a fright tonight then look no further, make sure to get into that Halloween spirit by watching blood-sucking Vampires, flesh-eating Zombies and all the other monsters in our menagerie of Horror!
20. American Horror Story: Coven
Seasons: 1 (13 Episodes)
Cast: Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Emma Roberts, Jessica Lange
Run Time: 1 Hour
IMDB Score: 8.1/10
Coven” tells the secret history of witches and witchcraft in America. Over 300 years have passed since the turbulent days of the Salem witch trials and those who managed to escape are now facing extinction. Mysterious attacks have been escalating against their kind and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans to learn how to protect themselves. Wrapped up in the turmoil is a new arrival, Zoe, who is harboring a terrifying secret of her own. Alarmed by the recent aggression, Fiona, the long-absent Supreme, sweeps back into town, determined to protect the Coven and hell-bent on decimating anyone who gets in her way.
The 3rd title in FX’s Anthology series saw the popularity of the series skyrocket, while it isn’t my personal favorite out of the 7 seasons that have aired it undoubtedly helped the branch the show out to a wider audience that is more than intrigued by the Occult. This show had a lot of ups and downs for me, albeit it’s still good but there was a lot holding it back considering this could have been the best season of AHS.
19. iZombie
Seasons: 4 (58 Episodes)
Cast: Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley, David Anders
Run Time: 42 Minutes
IMDB Score: 7.9/10
Liv Moore, a medical student, gets invited to a party which turns into a macabre zombie arena. Liv wakes up from the dead and becomes a zombie. For maintaining her humanity she must eat human brains so she began working in coroner’s office to access brains. Eating a brain gives her memories and traits of that person. So she helps detective Clive Babineaux to solve the murder as a psychic.
Dead Bodies. Zombie Coroner/Detective what could go wrong? Well thankfully not much went wrong and a lot went right with The CW’s Zombie series. A fun watch and easy to binge!
18. Teen Wolf – Netflix UK
Seasons: 6 (100 Episodes)
Cast: Tyler Posey, Holland Roden, Dylan O’Brien, Linden Ashby, JR Bourne, Melissa Ponzio
Run Time: 41 Minutes
IMDB Score: 7.7/10
The high-school anonymity Scott McCall was trying to break free from couldn’t have happened in a more mysterious, complicated way. While walking in the woods one night Scott encounters a creature, is bitten in the side, and his life is forever changed. Is he a human or a werewolf? Or a little bit of both? Controlling the strange urges he now feels is the toughest part, and he’s afraid the urges could end up controlling him. Will the bite be a gift or a curse, especially as it relates to the mischievous Allison, whom Scott can’t get enough of?
This show came out at the height of Twilight’s popularity and naturally became massively popular amongst teen and young adult audiences, a massive revamp on the popular 80’s movie of the same name see’s a lot darker approach to the movie it is based. Unfortunately for American audiences this isn’t streaming on Netflix right now but for our UK audience you can stream it right now!
17. From Dusk Till Dawn
Seasons: 3 (30 Episodes)
Cast: D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza González, Jesse Garcia, Madison Davenport, Brandon Soo Hoo
Run Time: 45 Minutes
IMDB Score: 7.0/10
Bank robber Seth Gecko and his violent brother, Richie, are on the run — a robbery gone bad left several people dead and the FBI and Texas Rangers are in pursuit. As they head for Mexico, the brothers meet the Fuller family heading the same way. They take the family hostage and continue the trip in the Fullers’ RV. Chaos breaks out when they stop at a bar to meet the cartel king who offered them shelter.
Taken from the Big Screen to the little Screen I think many were dubious to see if this holds up to silver screen counterpart, and while it isn’t as good as the original movie the show still has a lot going for it.
16. Grimm Netflix UK
Seasons: 6 (123 Episodes)
Cast: David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Silas Weir Mitchell, Sasha Roiz, Reggie Lee, Elizabeth Tulloch
Run Time: 45 Minutes
IMDB Score: 7.8/10
Homicide investigator Nick Burkhardt of the Portland Police Department learns he is descended from a line of guardians known as Grimms, charged with keeping the balance between humanity and the Wesen, or mythological creatures of the world (Wesen is the German word for being or creature).
If you gave me a choice of Once Upon a Time or Grimm I would choose Grimm every single time. When it comes to fairytales we know they’ve been done time and time again but with the angle that Grimm approaches from is a little more gritty and less happily ever after. Blending police and fairytales together isn’t something I’d do well as a combination but Grimm is a fun show and I was gutted when it finished.
15. Bates Motel
Seasons: 5 (50 Episodes)
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Olivia Cooke, Nestor Carbonell
Run Time: 45 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.2/10
After the death of her husband, Norma Bates buys a motel in the picturesque coastal town of White Pine Bay, giving herself and teenage son Norman a chance to begin anew. Shy Norman is reluctant at first, but with the help of his mother — with whom he shares an intensely close relationship — the boy begins to open up to others and make new friends. Some locals, however, aren’t as friendly and welcoming to the Bates, who discover that because White Pine Bay isn’t as peaceful as it appears, they are forced to do whatever it takes to survive.
3 words to describe this show? Creepy as hell. Now with many prequels, you have the issue of treading on toes of what came before but with Bates Motel seeing the descent of Norman Bates from shy young man to psychopathic killer is fantastic, each season and episode by episode you can see each piece falling into place to what inevitably leads to Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Psycho. A word to the wise what really makes this show so creepy is the Mother-Son partnership between Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, I won’t delve too much into that as you’ll need to see it for yourself!
14. The Vampire Diaries
Seasons: 8 (171 Episodes)
Cast: Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice King, Zach Roerig, Nina Dobrev
Run Time: 43 Minutes
IMDB Score: 7.7/10
A few months after their parents are killed in a tragic car accident, Elena Gilbert and her brother, Jeremy, are trying to come to terms with their grief. For Elena, formerly popular and involved with the school and her friends, it’s a struggle to hide her sadness. She finds herself drawn to a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan, unaware that he is a centuries-old vampire doing his best to live peacefully among humans. His brother, Damon, however, is the embodiment of vampire stereotypes, including violence and brutality, and the two brothers wage a war for the souls of Elena and everyone else in her small Virginia town.
While I was going through TV show Limbo I came across TVD, now I knew of this show for quite sometime before getting round to watching it but it was safe to say I really sank my teeth into this (I can feel the collective sigh of that pun), I was hooked from the get-go and blasted through 4 seasons of TV within one week but my thirst wasn’t satisfied (Got you again) I needed more and each time a season has been released I’ve binged that bad boy like a Vampire chomping on a sweet juicy artery. With 8 seasons of them out now if you’re looking for a show to last you while making sure to give this a watch.
13. Scream
Seasons: 2 (23 Episodes)
Cast: Willa Fitzgerald, Bex Taylor-Klaus, John Karna, Carlson Young, Tracy Middendorf, Amadeus Serafini
Run Time: 45 Minutes
IMDB Score: 7.3/10
After a cyber-bullying incident results in a brutal murder, the shocking violence stirs up memories of a killing spree from the past that has haunted some, intrigued others and maybe just inspired a new killer. A group of teens — with two old friends struggling to reconnect at its heart — become lovers, enemies, suspects, targets and victims of an assassin who’s out for blood.
I was dubious about watching Scream at first, while I did enjoy the movies a little part of me thought a season of this would just be too long and drawn out, to my great surprise I actually really enjoyed this show. while often predictable in its twists it is still fun trying to figure out who the killer is and even with a few 4th wall breaks towards horror movie troupes overall Scream is a great watch and I can’t wait for season 3.
12. The Originals
Seasons: 5 (92 Episodes)
Cast: Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Charles Michael Davis, Phoebe Tonkin, Yusuf Gatewood, Danielle Campbell
Run Time: 45 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.3/10
Klaus, the original vampire/werewolf hybrid, returns to New Orleans – which his family helped build – to investigate rumors of a plot against him. He finds his former protege, Marcel, reigning powerful over its inhabitants, causing growing tension in the supernatural community. Klaus’ brother, Elijah, joins him, and they learn that werewolf Hayley has fallen into the hands of a defiant witch who has life-changing information. Klaus and Elijah plan to reclaim the city, and while waiting to see if their last remaining sibling, Rebekah, will leave Mystic Falls to join them, they form an alliance with the witches to help further their cause.
The spin-off to parent show The Vampire Diaries saw the Mikaelsons popularity skyrocket, and with it overtaking The Vampire Diaries, I think what helped was it’s more adult approach over the TVD’s teen horror-drama, to which I found it a lot more captivating to watch, there’s something about the aura and mystique of New Orleans that is so appealing. While not a guilty pleasure this show is thoroughly entertaining and if you’re going to watch this make sure to give TVD a watch too!
11. American Horror Story: Freak Show
Seasons: 1 (13 Episodes)
Cast: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Michael Chiklis, Frances Conroy, Denis O’Hare, Emma Roberts
Run Time: 60 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.1/10
American Horror Story: Freak Show begins its tale in the quiet, sleepy hamlet of Jupiter, Florida. The year is 1952. A troupe of human curiosities has just arrived in town, coinciding with the strange emergence of a dark entity that savagely threatens the lives of townsfolk and freaks alike. This is the story of the performers and their desperate journey of survival amidst the dying world of the American carny experience.
If there is one thing this show does well is boosting the creep factor ten fold when needed, and while Asylum did have that in abundance there is something about Ryan Murphy’s homage to the 1932’s Freaks which hits home. This season was Jessica Lange’s last appearance before reappearing for Season 8, and boy has she been missed since.
10. Santa Clarita Diet Netflix Original
Seasons: 2 (20 Episodes)
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Run Time: 26-34 Minutes
IMDB Score: 7.8/10
Married realtors, Sheila and Joel, who are living a quiet life, raising their teenage daughter in Santa Clarita, Calif. Their world unexpectedly changes when Sheila goes through a dramatic transformation that sends her down a road of death and destruction but leaves her looking and feeling better than ever.
Weeds with Zombies? I hope I’m not the only one thinking that! Very original in concept even if Zombies have been used over and over again if you have the stomach for flesh and blood (I mean you’re here looking for the best horrors?), it is very light-hearted and no that’s not because Sheila removed a chunk for a quick bite, definitely give this one a binge!
9. American Horror Story: Haunted House
Seasons: 1 (12 Episodes)
Cast: Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Denis O’Hare, Jessica Lange
Run Time: 60 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.3/10
The Harmon family: Ben, Vivien, and Violet, who move from Boston to Los Angeles to start a new life in a Victorian mansion, after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair with Hayden McClaine, one of his students. On arrival, they learn from Marcy, the real estate agent, that the previous owners of their new mansion, a couple named Chad and Patrick, died in an apparent murder/suicide. Their neighbor, Constance Langdon, and her daughter Addie become frequent, and mostly unwelcome, guests. Addie seems to have a connection with the house’s mysterious past. Larry Harvey, a former resident of the house who has suffered from terrible burns, also begins inserting himself into the Harmons’ lives, giving Ben a cryptic warning about the house. The house also “comes with” Moira O’Hara, a housekeeper who appears young and seductive to men, but old and matronly to women.
The one that started it all. Shocking, horrifying and chilling Haunted House naturally as the first in the series was the introduction to the AHS franchise and while it’s the oldest it definitely deserved a spot in our top 10. At this point I had never seen a show like AHS on tv and when I’d seen the creator of AHS was also the creator of Glee I came to realize that Ryan Murphy really does love to torture people, but yes when I first watched this season I was hooked from the get-go, it left me on the edge of my seat and left me wanting more and with Season 8 supposedly reintroducing some of the characters from Haunted House back in I can’t wait to see them in action once again.
8. Hemlock Grove Netflix Original
Seasons: 3 (33 Episodes)
Cast: Famke Janssen, Bill Skarsgård, Landon Liboiron, Joel de la Fuente, Kaniehtiio Horn
Run Time: 46 Minutes
IMDB Score: 7.2/10
Secrets are just part of daily life in the small Pennsylvania town of Hemlock Grove, where the darkest evils hide in plain sight.
I know what you’re thinking, “Another Werewolf show!?” and, yes you are quite right! One of the oldest Netflix originals on the list but this in earlier days was on the flagships shows on the streaming service, with only 3 seasons you’re unlikely to get fatigue than what you would with a 20+ season.
7. Van Helsing
Seasons: 2 (26 Episodes)
Cast: Kelly Overton, Jonathan Scarfe, Vincent Gale, Rukiya Bernard, Aleks Paunovic
Run Time: 60 Minutes
IMDB Score: 6.0/10
Vanessa Helsing, a distant relative of famous vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, is resurrected only to find that vampires have taken over the world.
A guilty pleasure of mine this one, and while there have been many Vampire titles over the years I thought this new iteration of the Van Helsing character has been great! Incredibly brutal in parts and sometimes heart wrenching for others if you’re looking for a fun and high octane Vampire show than Van Helsing is a great fit for you.
6. Tokyo Ghoul
Seasons: 1 (24 Episodes)
Cast: Austin Tindle, Brina Palencia, J. Michael Tatum, Christopher Sabat, Monica Rial, Clifford Chapin
Run Time: 24 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.0/10
Ghouls are terrifying creatures which feed on human flesh. When Kaneki is almost killed in an attack, he transforms into a half-ghoul, half-human hybrid and is forced to adapt to their lifestyle in order to survive.
Our first and only Anime title in this list is a harrowing tale of what it means to be Human. You may hear yourself saying out-loud “Anime is for Children”, well watch this come back to me and tell me what you think then. I’ve seen a lot of Anime over the years and Tokyo Ghoul is still one of the best out there today, if you’re looking for something a bit different in your watch list make sure to add this title now.
5. Walking Dead
Seasons: 8 (115 Episodes)
Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohen, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chandler Riggs
Run Time: 44 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.4/10
Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.
Easily one of the biggest tv shows of this decade and of that the 21st Century The Walking Dead has captivated audiences worldwide with its spilling of guts and gore and what it means to be a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world with flesh-eating zombies. While the quality of the show has dipped in recent seasons its fan following still remains extraordinarily loyal and that doesn’t look to change anytime soon.
4. Hannibal
Seasons: 2 (26 Episodes)
Cast: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne, Scott Thompson
Run Time: 44 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.6/10
Explores the early relationship between the renowned psychiatrist and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.
While controversial to some that the portrayal of Hannibal as an Anti-Hero is heresy to the legacy of Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of the legendary title character there is something very appealing about seeing the journey and the descent into a villain that makes Mads Mikkelson’s portrayal so captivating. Wildly praised by critics as one of the best tv shows of the genre of all time make sure to add this to the list!
3. Z Nation
Seasons: 4 (55 Episodes)
Cast: Russel Hodgkinson, Nat Zang, Keith Allan, Kellita Smith, Anastasia Baranova, DJ Qualls
Run Time: 44 Minutes
IMDB Score: 6.7/10
Three years after the zombie virus has gutted the United States of America a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood.
Controversially higher on the list than the ever popular The Walking Dead, Z Nation holds a special place in the heart and why? Because it’s fun. Plain and simple this show is a fun Zombie series and knows not to take itself too seriously. It can get a bit cheesy and a bit silly on occasion but hey we’re talking about a fictional apocalyptic series and to be honest it’s refreshing to watch!
2. American Horror Story: Asylum
Seasons: 1 (13 Episodes)
Cast: Zachary Quinto, Joseph Fiennes, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Jessica Lange
Run Time: 60 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.5/10
In 1964, at Briarcliff Mental Institution in Massachusetts, Sister Jude Martin and Sister Mary Eunice McKee maintain the institution that was founded by Monsignor Timothy Howard to treat and house the mentally and criminally insane. Psychiatrist Dr. Oliver Thredson, and scientist Dr. Arthur Arden, treat the patients within the facility, which include lesbian journalist Lana Winters, accused serial killer Kit Walker, and alleged murderer Grace Bertrand.
The 2nd title in the Anthology series is hands down the best of the series, this season had me hooked from the get go and I am not ashamed to admit I smashed all 13 episodes within 24 hours! If you have a fear of Claustrophobia or Cleithrophobia then Asylum will definitely be one to creep you the hell out.
1. Stranger Things Netflix Original
Seasons: 2 (17 Episodes)
Cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb, McLaughlin
Run Time: 51 – 60 Minutes
IMDB Score: 8.9/10
In a small town where everyone knows everyone, a peculiar incident starts a chain of events that leads to the disappearance of a child, which begins to tear at the fabric of an otherwise peaceful community. Dark government agencies and seemingly malevolent supernatural forces converge on the town, while a few locals begin to understand that there’s more going on than meets the eye.
Okay, we know that we’ve played fast and loose with the term ‘Horror’ but if no matter what angle you look at it Stranger Things is a part of the Horror Genre, which is why it undoubtedly tops our list. Stranger Things fast became one of the flagship titles on Netflix, and, it’s easy to see why by rocking the 80’s nostalgia train hard and a charming and loveable cast blended with a Goonies/E.T vibe it really was a blending pot of success.
Do you agree with our list of best Horror TV shows on Netflix? Is there any we missed out that deserves a place? Let us know in the comments below and while you’re here make sure to check out our top 20 Horror Movies shows streaming on Netflix!
